You're Gonna Miss Me When I'm Gone
by DubCliq
Summary: Au fic. Starts with the shower scene, but with a little twist…
1. Chapter 1

**You're Gonna Miss Me When I'm Gone**

Disclaimer: The characters in this story do not belong to me. They belong to Kay Cannon and the producers of Pitch Perfect.

A/N: Let me know what you think! Don't worry, I won't be starting new Pitch Perfect fics after this until I update my other ones. Thanks for reading!

Special thanks to Mia, my beta for this chapter. :)

* * *

When Chloe pulled the shower curtain aside, she hadn't wasn't really thinking clearly. All she knew was that the voice on the other side singing _her lady jam_ sounded absolutely amazing and had to be recruited. After their embarrassing performance at Finals the previous year, it had been difficult getting girls to even audition for a part in their a cappella group, and they were desperate for talent. So when she heard the talented singing voice, she let her excitement get the best of her.

It never occurred to her that she could have come across as creepy or weird – she was doing this for the Bellas, taking one for the team. In fact, if you asked her, she would have maintained that she was simply being assertive, and that she came across as _friendly _for the most part. This was the women's locker room at their campus recreational facility, and there was no doubt that the owner of the voice was female – _hey, if they both had the same lady parts, what was there to be ashamed of, right?_

Unfortunately, the brunette on the other side of the curtain did not agree with her. After screaming and covering herself with the curtain, the brunette had watched incredulously as the redhead introduced herself with a wide grin on her face and practically forced her to sing for her.

Slightly panicked, a little bit amused, very weirded out…and maybe just a little bit turned on, the brunette did not know how to get out of the situation. The girl seemed very determined but mostly harmless, so calling out for help seemed unnecessary. No one really worked out this late in the night anyway, which was why she had chosen this time to be there. And the redhead was _very_ attractive, with _very_ attractive lady parts – not that the brunette had peeked… much—which almost made up for her seemingly lack of personal boundaries.

So after not coming up with any other solution, the brunette relented, opening her mouth to repeat the words she had been singing just a few minutes before.

"_I'm bulletproof, nothing to lose, fire away, fire away. Ricochet, you take your aim, fire away, fire away. You shoot me down, but I won't fall, I am titanium. You shoot me down, but I won't fall, I am titanium."_

Her voice sounded pure, cutting through the silence in the showers and amplified by the acoustics in the stall. After the first few words, Chloe joined in, harmonizing effortlessly with the smaller girl. The two voices, already great on their own, sounded even sweeter when put together.

It was in that impromptu duet that Chloe realized that having the same lady parts does _not_ make standing in a small shower stall together naked _not a big deal_. Even to this day, she couldn't quite pinpoint what it was that caused the shift within her. It could have simply been the aca-awesomeness of their voices mingled together singing her lady jam – she had always loved how that song _builds_. The quality of their voices sent tingles up her spine, the words caressing every inch of her skin, making her feel even more naked.

Or maybe, it was how their eyes had been glued to each other throughout the singing in what had become an intense staring match, and when they had immediately broken their eye contact after, it was only inevitable that they would catch a glimpse (_okay, another glimpse_) of the rest of each other.

But somehow, as their voices faded, the silence that greeted them had become sexually charged. The two girls suddenly became even more aware of not just their own nakedness, but the other's as well, and just how physically close they were standing together – _it was a fairly small shower stall after all_. Their heightened senses allowed them to see and _feel_ the other's eyes move down their own body. And when Chloe's breath hitched, the brunette could almost feel it on her skin.

In a flash, the two bodies seemed to have melded of their own accord, the mouths attached to them greedily seeking the other out. They placed open mouth kisses on each other's skin, nipping and sucking, frantically memorizing each other's bodies with their hands and lips. Chloe remembered feeling like her heart was about to break out of her chest. Her own inexperienced hands had been unsure and slightly clumsy but definitely eager, as if mapping out a new territory, while the ones she had felt on her own skin were bold and seemed to move with precision, as if already knowing every dip and curve and how to manipulate them to make her toes curl and her knees weak. The cold tile against her back was freezing cold, but the body pressed against hers made her feel like she was on fire.

It was only when the Barden Bell rang from its tower to signify the end of the hour that the brunette seemed to snap out from her trance. She jumped backwards, her eyes wide in horror, as if just realizing what had been going on. Before Chloe could even say a word, the other girl darted out of the shower, hurrying to her locker to grab her stuff and put on some clothes haphazardly.

Chloe stayed in the shower, still dazed and just as shocked, but not at all horrified. She had never even suspected herself to be remotely attracted to females in the past given her enjoyable experiences with men. She had certainly never struggled or had much to complain in the boyfriend department. But she had always been comfortable with her sexuality and seen it as a fluid thing, so the thought that she had just fooled around with another girl didn't bother her in the slightest.

What really bothered her was that she never even got the girl's name – she was usually a lot better at the whole introduction thing – and that she hadn't even gotten the chance to mention the Bellas. As she was walking back to her dorms that night, it occurred to her that she must have come across as a freak given that she had, for no reason known to the other girl, simply barged in on her shower, asked her to sing with her, then proceeded to grope her without having the chance to explain that it was all for an a cappella group. She could only hope that the girl got the hint somehow and showed up miraculously during auditions tomorrow – or that they didn't cross paths again the rest of the year. Because really, that _was _kind of embarrassing, even for her standards.

_But boy, was that the hottest thing she had ever experienced!_

* * *

Chloe's day had started out well – after the events of the previous night, she had woken up and decided that it was going to be a good day. She was a firm believer in starting each day fresh. Even sitting in the auditorium while the Treblemakers were being extra scathing with their remarks – well, mostly Bumper – hadn't been enough to put a damper on her mood. And there were some pretty vocally talented girls that she and Aubrey were sure they could work with. She knew they could fill in the missing spots on the Bellas easily given a bit of training with the choreography.

So maybe she had been a bit disappointed that the girl didn't show up to the audition… that is, until she did show up. Except the brunette hadn't _really_ shown up to audition.

It is after everyone who had done the audition song was all lined up onstage so that the leaders of the four groups could thank them for coming – while Bumper was commenting about how sorry he was that the girls who had tried out couldn't be on the Trebletones – that they heard a snort behind them. And when everyone's eyes turned to see the brunette sitting in the back, Chloe felt her heart leap in her chest.

"Auditions are over," Aubrey said, scowling at the amused smile on the smaller girl's face.

"It's okay!" Chloe stammered, scared that the girl would bolt again, "We can hear one more."

The girl rolled her eyes, staying where she was.

"I'm not here to audition. A cappella doesn't necessarily rank high on my list of interests."

"Well, this is a closed event. You're not supposed to be here." Aubrey sounded calm, but Chloe could tell that her best friend was on edge.

"Uh, guys?" Everyone turned back to the stage to find the source of the interruption, and found the girl that introduced herself as Cynthia Rose earlier, standing with a hand on her hip. "I think you should be showing a bit more respect. This is Dr. Mitchell. _She teaches Music Theory here_."

Chloe felt her heart stop.

_Oh god. What?_

The crowd immediately turned back to look at the brunette, who now seemed uncomfortable under the scrutiny now that her identity was revealed.

"Uh, it's Beca, really. Dr. Mitchell is my dad. He teaches Comparative Literature here."

Chloe could feel her heart stop.

_Teacher? Dr. Mitchell? So does that mean she's not—_

"Actually, I'm pretty sure your PhD qualifies you for that title, too, Teach."

Beca Mitchell rolled her eyes, but a small smile on her face appeared.

"Yeah, well, Beca is fine. Cynthia Rose, right? I remember you from one of my classes."

_Oh god._

No wonder the brunette had been horrified. But it wasn't as if she hadn't kissed her back with equal fervor, right? No, Beca had been an active and willing participant up until she bolted. It was then that it really fully sank in that she had made out with a teacher. More than made out. Hence why she was rooted to her chair wishing that her seat would magically sprout arms that would strangle her or hide her from this embarrassment she was feeling.

_Oh god._

"Whatever, this audition was lame, I have better things to do," Bumper called out, breaking the short silence. "I don't know why you're all so fascinated – she teaches Music _Theory_. Those who can, do. Those who can't do, teach. Those who can't teach actual music, teach music theory, right? Whatevs, I'm gone."

He cracked up, standing up. But before he could leave his chair, Cynthia Rose had jumped off the stage and grabbed him by his collar.

"Just because you can belt a few notes doesn't mean you can show disrespect to a member of the faculty," she snarled. "Dr. Mitchell got her PhD in Musicology at the age of 24 and is a motherfuckin' badass DJ. You're just too stupid to recognize her shit on the radio and too much of a loser to get into the clubs that she plays at. What the hell have you done other than win a couple of collegiate competitions?"

Everyone stared at Cynthia Rose in silence, too shocked to speak. Suddenly, Beca, who had been feeling extremely awkward and regretting letting her curiosity get the best of her and showing up at the auditions, walked towards the crowd, hoping to diffuse the situation.

"Uh, Cynthia? You can let go of him now. Didn't know anyone around here knew that much about me, but thanks. Not that I feel like I have to defend myself from a bunch of college kids, but I did sort of crash this audition, so…"

She walked over to where Chloe was sitting, shooting her a fleeting glance before – _Oh god – _bending over to grab the cup that she and Aubrey had been using as a pencil holder. She turned the cup over, emptying it of its contents, and walked over to the stage, hoisting herself up with her arms before sitting cross-legged right in the center. The people onstage moved to the side to make room for her, watching curiously as she turned the cup down in front of her and began to use it to make a catchy beat.

"_I got my ticket for the long way 'round, two bottle 'a whiskey for the way. And I sure would like some sweet company, and I'm leaving tomorrow, wha-do-ya say?"_

Chloe felt her eyes glued to the brunette, her heart beating as she thought about the first time she heard that voice and what had ensued afterwards.

"_When I'm gone, when I'm gone. You're gonna miss me when I'm gone. You're gonna miss me by my hair, you're gonna miss me everywhere, oh, you're gonna miss me when I'm gone. _

"_I've got my ticket for the long way 'round, the one with the prettiest of views. It's got mountains, it's got rivers, it's got sights to give you shivers, but it sure would be prettier with you._

"_When I'm gone, when I'm gone. You're gonna miss me when I'm gone. You're gonna miss me by my hair, you're gonna miss me everywhere, oh, you're gonna miss me when I'm gone."_

As she ended by slamming the cup against the stage floor, everyone erupted into cheers, immediately asking if it was too late to join any of her classes still. She grinned, telling them that her classes were unfortunately full but that there were waitlists in case anyone dropped out. Then, after shooting a discreet look in Chloe's direction, she hopped off the stage and disappeared just as quickly as she had the previous night.

After a few seconds, everyone slowly filed out of the auditorium upon realizing that nothing else interesting was going to happen. A few struck up conversations with each other about auditions and the different rival groups. Aubrey, too had stood up to gather up their notes, but Chloe stayed seated where she was, staring off into space.

She found her mind wandering back to the previous night for the millionth time – or perhaps her mind had never left – and she shifted in her seat, suddenly feeling _very_ sexually frustrated. Teacher or not, it had been the hottest piece of action she'd had in a while, with all of her time going into planning for Regionals. And hearing that the brunette was some kind of musical prodigy – _and a DJ!?_ – made her seem more attractive than ever. It was only when Aubrey nudged her asking why she wasn't packing up that she began to freak out.

_Oh my aca-gods, I have a crush on a teacher._


	2. Chapter 2

**You're Gonna Miss Me When I'm Gone**

Disclaimer: The characters in this story do not belong to me. They belong to Kay Cannon and the producers of Pitch Perfect.

A/N: Thank you all for reading, reviewing and following my story!

Special thanks to Malisa, my beta for this chapter. :)

* * *

Chloe had been standing in front of the wooden door with her hand poised to knock when the sign on it made her hesitate. The name _Dr. Rebeca Mitchell _definitelysounded a lot more intimidating than the somehow confident-yet-awkward woman that had crashed their auditions.

She really didn't know why she was there. It was enough that she had shown up at the young teacher'sclass, hoping to catch a glimpse of the brunette's teaching style. It wasn't a big class, but the 70 students were enough to let her slip in unnoticed.

But she hadn't remained unnoticed. Apparently, the brunette had the habit of walking around the classroom as she lectured. When she noticed the redhead sitting in the back, she had paused in the middle of her sentence, locking eyes with the Bella. It probably lasted for a few seconds – then Beca collected herself and resumed her class as if nothing was amiss, making sure to not walk towards the back for the rest of the period.

And that's how Chloe found herself outside Beca's office. She tried to tell herself that it was all for the Bellas, that she was there to figure out how they could improve – _not because she hadn't been able to get the brunette off her mind ever since their first meeting_.

The Bellas' performance at Regionals had gone as planned, with Aubrey and her taking the solos, and luckily, the blonde senior had managed to not let her nerves get the best of her again. And while all the singing had been a huge strain on her vocal nodules, Chloe had managed to make it through by resting her voice as much as possible when they weren't practicing. She could only hope that she would be able to last until the end of a cappella season.

The Bellas had gotten second place after the Treblemakers, which qualified them for the State Finals. Which was good until Aubrey found out later on that they had beaten the Sockapellas by a mere 3 points. Cynthia Rose had gotten into an argument with Aubrey afterwards, ranting about how they had almost lost because they had repeated a set that the Barden Bellas had already used the previous year, and that they were going to lose the next competition if they continued to play it safe.

Aubrey, of course, had shot the idea down, threatening to remove her from the team if she continued to speak against them. Deep down, Chloe had agreed with the younger Bella. She had noticed the looks of boredom on the faces of the audience. While she loved the Bellas tradition, she knew that they needed to step up their game. Fast.

And somehow, she felt that the answer was with the young associate professor. She had found herself drawn to how the brunette taught her class. Not only did Beca obviously know a lot about music; she was funny, didn't talk down to her students, and seemed genuinely interested in what they had to say. Chloe knew that the Bellas needed all the help they could get to break tradition and turn things around.

That thought was enough to spur the redhead to knock. She was seeking the associate professor out purely for Bellas business.

"Come in!"

Chloe reached for the doorknob, twisting it and giving the door a slight push. She stepped inside the office, her eyes immediately finding the brunette sitting behind her desk. Beca was wearing a plain navy long-sleeved shirt, a hand holding a stack of papers in front of her while the other held a red pen. A pair of rectangular black-framed glasses was perched on her nose, leading the redhead to wonder if she was only going to find the brunette more and more attractive each time she saw her.

"What are you doing here?" Clearly, Beca was not happy to see her. "Look, if you're trying to–"

"I'm not!" Chloe called out before she could lose her nerve. She wasn't exactly sure what the brunette was assuming, but she wanted to nip it in the bud right away. It had been a couple of months since they had last seen each other, and neither had tried to talk about what had transpired between them. And as many times as Chloe had been tempted to approach the brunette and finish what they had started, she knew it was a very bad idea. She had less than a year before graduation, and would like to keep it that way.

But Chloe was desperate – and desperate often led her to do crazy things, like burst in one someone taking a shower, or –

"Chloe, what are you doing here?"

_Oh god_. Chloe didn't think she'd ever heard Beca say her name until then.

"I uh," Chloe stammered nervously, wondering where her usual self-confidence went. "I loved your class."

Beca sighed, sliding off her glasses and motioning towards the chair.

"My class is full. I don't think it's a good idea anyway. Professor McGraw teaches it in the spring, and she's really great–"

"I don't want to take your class."

Beca looked taken aback, but decided to let the redhead speak. Chloe finally walked over to the empty seat, resting her hands on her lap as she sat down. She paused, wondering how she should begin.

"Cynthia Rose raves about your class all the time," she started. "She's been… speaking out… against the Bellas–"

"Against Aubrey, you mean," came the response, and the blue eyes that had been staring at their owner's hands flew up to meet the older woman's. "Cynthia Rose visits my office hours."

Chloe felt the need to defend her best friend. _What had Cynthia Rose been telling other people?_

"Aubrey just wants to win."

"I have no doubt about that."

"She means well."

"Look, I really don't care –"

"Please help us!"

"– About all this a cappella bus– wait, what?"

Chloe sighed. As much as she loved Aubrey, the Bellas weren't going to get anywhere if she continued to make excuses for her.

"Cynthia Rose is right," the Bella admitted. "We can't win if we keep doing the same thing."

"So be different."

"It's not that simple."

"Yes it is. From what I've heard, you've got a pretty solid group. You're just not choosing songs that showcase everyone's potential. Talk to your group. Talk to Aubrey."

"But I don't… Where would we even start? The next competition is in a month!" She looked at Beca pleadingly. "I can talk to Aubrey, but that will take a while. I just need– "

"Whoa, stop right there. I don't have time to fix your aca-problems. Cynthia Rose is my student, and you're – Look, I'm pretty sure faculty members aren't supposed to interfere with student competitions, anyway."

"I'm pretty sure they're not supposed to kiss students either."

"Excuse me?"

Chloe's hand flew to her mouth in shock, unable to believe what she had blurted aloud. Beca raised an eyebrow, pinning her with a look that made her both want to disappear in her seat and kiss the brunette senseless.

"For the record, you barged in my shower stall, and we are not talking about that. Ever."

"But–"

"No. Cynthia Rose runs her ideas by me during my office hours – which aren't now, by the way– _after_ we discuss her questions from class. I don't offer anything more than telling her what I think of the arrangements she puts together and small tips on how to clean them up."

"Oh." Chloe felt herself deflate, suddenly not knowing what to do. The bubbly and persistent redhead was not used to being flat-out rejected.

"Look, you don't need my help. You just need to get your girls on board. I'm sorry, but I really need to get these papers graded. Good luck, Chloe."

* * *

The next couple of weeks had been Chloe had been her usual bubbly self, but had spent a little more time alone trying to figure out how she was going to approach her best friend. It wasn't that she was scared of Aubrey – on the contrary, she was scared _for _her. The blonde had entered Barden as a curious, carefree freshman, but over the course of her college career, the pressure to succeed from her overbearing father had caused her a certain degree of anxiety, which translated into needing to feel like in control of situations in order to have control over herself. Chloe knew what the Bellas needed in order to win, but she was afraid that the turnaround would be too much stress on Aubrey on top of the recent added on stress of choosing the right law school to attend.

Chloe was interrupted from her thoughts as the chorus of _Party in the USA _came on, signaling that someone was calling her. Noticing the _Unknown Caller_ on her screen, she answered with a smile on her face, hoping that it was a call from one of her potential employers with good news.

"Chloe Beale speaking!" She answered brightly.

"Hey! This is Luke calling from Music for Independent Mind–"

"I'm sorry?"

"Uh, WBUJ 85.7? The local radio station a few blocks from campus?"

"Oh! Did I win something?" Chloe tried to remember if she had signed up for anything online. She usually plugged in her iPod in her car instead of listening to the radio, so she couldn't have known about any giveaway.

"Er, I guess you did. You got the job! Your shift starts tonight, 5 to 10. You'll work Tuesdays and Thursdays. Those were the only available slots we had."

"I – What?"

"Listen, I'm really in a bit of a rush here. I don't work Tuesdays, but the shift DJ will be there to show you the ropes if you arrive a few minutes early. Good luck!"

As 'Luke' hung up the phone, Chloe's eyebrows wrinkled in confusion. While she had heard of the radio station, she was pretty sure she hadn't applied for a job there. She had been applying to jobs after graduation – mostly PR agencies and marketing positions. Coming from a wealthy family, she had been blessed with the ability to focus on her classes, internships and campus organizations without having to take a student job to alleviate the crushing weight of student loans.

Chalking it up to a misunderstanding – _maybe there was another Chloe Beale at Barden? _– and figuring that she had the free time to spare later on in the day, Chloe decided to show up during her shift to straighten things out.

* * *

Chloe was impressed by the shelves of vinyl records that were crammed into the small space. Not noticing anyone in the room, she found herself wandering aimlessly through the aisles, her curiosity getting the best of her as she pulled out random records to look at their cover art, humming to the music playing softly. It was only when she heard the sound of someone clearing their throat that she remembered why she was there. She quickly placed AC/DC's _Highway to Hell _record back where she found it and turned around quickly, only to be shocked at the face that greeted her.

"B-Beca! I mean – Dr. Mitchell!"

Beca was leaning against the doorway to the music booth with her arms crossed in front of her chest, an amused look on her face.

"It's Beca, I keep telling everyone Dr. Mitchell is my dad. So, you're the new hire."

Chloe felt her face flush as the brunette uncrossed her arms and walked over to her.

_Oh god, I hope she doesn't think I'm stalking her._

"I uh, actually, I don't think– "

"The radio station plays hundreds of records a day. At the end of the day, we need interns to put them back on the shelves, which are categorized by genre, then in alphabetical order by artist, and in chronological order by album." The brunette explained as if she hadn't heard Chloe's attempt at explaining that she wasn't supposed to be there. "Unfortunately, the station can only afford to hire one student for each shift, so you'll be stuck with me on Tuesday and Thursday nights."

_You'll be stuck with me on Tuesday and Thursday nights._

Those words rang in Chloe's ears as the gears began to turn in her head. Beca, who had been pushing the cart towards another aisle as she continued to explain what the job entailed, stopped when she realized that the redhead was rooted to her spot.

"What? I have to go back and play music in a few minutes. I have a queue of readymade mixes playing, but it's about run out of songs in a bit."

"You got me this job." The redhead's face reflected a mixture of confusion and awe. Beca rolled her eyes, but a tiny hint of a smile appeared on her face for a brief second before disappearing.

"I don't know what you're talking about. Luke does the hiring here. I just play music twice a week because the only decent club to spin at is over an hour away, which means I only have time to play there on Saturdays."

"I didn't apply for this job."

"Well, you must have," Beca responded with a shrug. "Might do you some good to be exposed to other types of music anyway. Who knows, you might be… _inspired_."

Chloe could have sworn she saw the brunette wink before turning around and heading towards the music booth, shutting the door behind her.

As the music from the booth grew louder, the redhead turned around and walked towards the cart. And as she began to stack the records, she found herself bobbing her head and tapping her foot to the beat, a smile appearing and remaining on her face for her entire shift.


	3. Chapter 3

**You're Gonna Miss Me When I'm Gone**

Disclaimer: The characters in this story do not belong to me. They belong to Kay Cannon and the producers of Pitch Perfect.

A/N: Thank you all for reading, reviewing and following my story!

Special thanks to Mia & Malisa, my betas for this chapter. :)

* * *

Chloe had always considered herself an optimist.

When she was eight, she broke her arm after falling off her bike. It had hurt a lot at first, but after bawling her eyes out in the emergency room, she quickly saw her little accident as a way to enjoy a mini-vacation while her parents doted on her. For two weeks, her parents made her older brother do all her chores and let their _little ladybug _eat as much ice cream as she wanted.

When she was sixteen, her parents got divorced. She had hated having to split her time between two homes, but took the change in stride, knowing that after years of fighting and sleeping in separate rooms, the two people she loved the most finally had a chance to break out of that unhealthy cycle and have their chance at being happy again. And of course, it meant two sets of Christmas and birthday presents.

When she had her heart broken for the first time about a year later, she had shut herself in her room the entire weekend with boxes of tissues and Reese's peanut butter cups. But by the time Monday rolled around, she had decided that it was much better that she had found her boyfriend cheating before graduation – it had saved her from having to keep a long distance relationship afloat throughout college when she should be exploring and meeting new people.

Even when she saw her best friend start to buckle under her father's pressure, Chloe maintained her cheerful disposition towards life. Many of the older Bellas had scoffed at it, calling her naïve and chastising her for always _having her head in the clouds_. But the redhead was not the Luna Lovegood that everyone thought she was. She simply chose to look at the silver lining in every situation.

Except it was getting increasingly harder to look on the bright side as she spent more and more time with Beca at the station. Chloe couldn't help but be frustrated. Truth be told, she had expected the brunette to take her under her wing, like some Karate Kid scenario, but with music. _I mean, the woman has a grasshopper tattoo on her forearm for a cappella's sake!_

By the time she got to the station, the DJ would already be in the music booth, the door shut and music playing through the different speakers placed around the area. After a few hours, the brunette would walk out with a big stack of records that she would add onto Chloe's cart. Except instead of walking back in, she would help file the records away.

On most days, they would talk. Beca would casually ask about her day, and Chloe would cheerfully talk about her classes and the Bellas. But while Chloe would gladly let the conversation flow to topics about her friends and childhood, Beca would usually keep her part of the conversation around her classes and the type of music she liked.

But while Chloe loved spending time with the brunette, she couldn't help but wonder why Beca had gotten her the job there in the first place. The brunette would listen amusedly as she prattled on about the funny things that would happen at the Bellas' practices, but remind her that she couldn't get involved when asked a direct question about their set.

_And god, Chloe hated how agonizingly platonic it had become between them._ Or at least, it seemed that way on Beca's part. The brunette had seemed perfectly fine cracking jokes and acting like nothing had ever happened between them. And Chloe… well, Chloe could not count the number of times she had to fight the temptation to just take the smaller woman against the shelves - god, why did Beca Mitchell have to be so hot and smart and talented and funny and did she already mention _hot?_

To top it off, Aubrey was more than a little miffed at her for taking a job at the_ most_ _important period of their college career - _because of course, _nothing _was more important than their last chance to win Nationals_._ Needless to say, this all left the redhead both very sexually and just plain frustrated.

And the Riff-Off: Chloe still could not understand how things had escalated to the point they had. Beca wasn't even in one of the a cappella groups!

It was after the first round that Bumper had noticed the brunette sitting on the edge of the pool, amused by the rivalry she was witnessing. The cocky senior Treble had called her out, calling it a closed event despite the many non-a cappella people that were there to watch the competition. Then he proceeded to challenge her, saying that if she were the _hotshot _she was, she'd be able to hold her own without a team behind her.

Of course, Beca didn't back down from the challenge. And of course, the next theme just _had _to be _Songs About Sex_.

To no one's surprise, Stacie charged towards the center of the empty pool instinctively, Cynthia-Rose following shortly behind her as they began to sing the words to Rihanna's _S&M_. Donald retaliated with _Let's Talk About Sex _by Salt-N-Pepa, and the two Bellas' subsequent response with Boyz II Men's _I'll Make Love to You_ was quickly trumped by Jesse belting out Foreigner's _Feels Like the First Time._

Chloe had only been half participating at the time, her eyes glued to the unfazed Beca, who looked unimpressed by the quick back-and-forth performances by the rival groups. It was only when the brunette turned to look at her, raising an expectant eyebrow, that she realized that the Bellas were struggling to find a comeback song - and that she had yet to contribute to her team's efforts. Chloe remembered being filled with the overwhelming need to wipe off the look on the young associate professor's face. After all, the topic was about _sex. _Chloe Nicole Beale was not shy about sex!

She took a moment to listen to the lyrics that the Trebles were singing before jumping in with a song from one of her favorite movies, her eyes trained on the DJ's face as she tried to channel the soulfulness of Kevon Edmonds.

_"It slow, make sweet lovin' to me. Let it flow, oh, you're looking so sexy to me. Lose control, you don't know what you're doing to me. With my eyes and my mind, I -"_

But the song from _Save the Last Dance_ was short-lived as Beca, of course, chose _that_ moment to jump in, singing with a smirk on her face that made Chloe lose any coherent thought in her head.

_"I bet the neighbors know my name, way you screamin', scratchin', yellin'. Bet the neighbors know my name, they be stressin' while we sexin'. Bet the neighbors know my name, I bet the neighbors know my name, my, my, my... While I _-"

Chloe regained her senses just in time to jump in - she did _not _need to listen to Beca singing the next words of that line (_be bangin' on yo' body_). _Ugh, fucking Trey Songz. _Whatever, two can play at this game.

"_I really wanna dance, tonight with you. (Wanna see you move?) I really wanna do what you want me to. (Uh uh uh) Baby, don't you wanna dance up on me (I just wanna dance next to you), to another time and place? _

The two were now standing face to face, oblivious to the people around them. Chloe, consumed by Beca's presence, barely noticed the Bellas singing back-up to her rendition to Britney's _I'm a Slave 4 U. _As she sang the words to the song, she could see the effect they had on the brunette. The redhead felt herself get lost in the parts of the lyrics that seemed fitting for their situation.

_"Baby don't you wanna dance up on me (Are you ready?), leaving behind my name, my age? I'm a slave for you. (Take that.) I cannot hold it -"_

The brunette, whose face bore a slight tinge of pink, jumped in, unable to handle it anymore.

_"It's going down, fade to Blackstreet, the homies got RB, collab' creations. Bump like Acne, no doubt, I put it down, never slouch, as long as my credit can vouch, a dog couldn't catch me straight up."_

Chloe's eyes widened, and her mouth dropped in shock. She could only watch in awe as the brunette continued to rap the Blackstreet song, now awkwardly aware of the deafening silence in the background as the rest of the crowd struggled to figure out what song she was performing. _But Chloe knew._

_Fucking hell. First Beca sings her lady jam, and now she's singing her ultimate jam!? Is the universe trying to kill her!? _She swallowed hard, trying to fight her urge to fidget as she became painfully aware of her increasing arousal.

"_Tell me who can stop when Dre making moves, attracting honeys like a magnet, giving em eargasms with my mellow accent… Still moving this flavor, with the homies Blackstreet and Teddy, the original rump shakers…_"

Beca paused, surveying the crowd. Even the Treblemakers were stunned into silence. Then, as Chloe noticed Cynthia-Rose through the corner of her eye giving the DJ an appreciative and encouraging nod, Beca continued the song.

_"Shorty get down, good lord…"_

As the brunette began to sing the chorus, the miraculous happened. Fat Amy joined in, followed by Cynthia-Rose, then the rest of the Bellas. Then it seemed like even the BU Harmonics and High Notes - _and hell, even the Treblemakers _- were singing and dancing along.

Chloe had never seen the four a cappella groups show any form of unity in her years at Barden. And for the first time, even just for a few minutes, the Riff-Off seemed to take a less competitive, more playful tone. Which was great, because if anyone had noticed the highly-charged sexual tension in the air between the two women - which, to anyone who was not blind, must have been glaringly obvious - they had forgotten about it by then.

And when the song finally ended with Beca striking some form of cocky pose, even the organizers announcing that technically the Bellas had won because Beca had matched _It _with _It's_ could not stop everyone from talking about the _professor with so much swag _as the crowd began to disperse.

Chloe stayed rooted to the spot, staring at the DJ, who looked to be surrounded by a crowd of adoring fans. She had barely heard the congratulations that the Bellas had sent her way for helping them win. And as it became quite obvious that the brunette was trying her best to avoid her eyes, the redhead knew that whatever had just happened would appear to be completely forgotten again the next time they saw each other.

And Chloe was once again left with the painful realization that she was hardcore crushing on someone who was not only out of her league, but completely off limits unless she wanted things to get very, very complicated. And while she could not remember hearing about a time that the Bellas had won the Riff-Off, the Bellas were still stuck on the same old set for the State Finals. And while Chloe should be feeling proud for being the reason for their victory, she still could not shake the feeling that she had still lost.

Chloe had always considered herself an optimist. But it was getting really, _really_ hard to stay that way.

* * *

A/N: Songs used that were not a part of the original Riff-Off:

Kevon Edmonds - Move It Slow

Trey Songz - Neighbors Know My Name

Britney Spears - I'm a Slave 4 U


	4. Chapter 4

**You're Gonna Miss Me When I'm Gone**

Disclaimer: The characters in this story do not belong to me. They belong to Kay Cannon and the producers of Pitch Perfect.

A/N: Sorry for the wait - life kept getting in the way. This one's a bit shorter, but it gives you a bit of Beca's perspective. The next chapter will move the story farther along.

Thank you all for reading, reviewing and following my story!

Special thanks to Mia, my beta for this chapter. :)

* * *

"So, I Googled you."

Beca, who had been standing on the tip of her toes trying (but failing) to return a record to the top shelf, stopped and turned to face the redhead.

"You… Googled… me?" Her voice mirrored the confusion on her face.

"Mhmm."

"Why…?"

Chloe shrugged, reaching over to take the record from the DJ's hands before putting it back on the top shelf effortlessly. The brunette scowled at the ease to which the taller girl accomplished the task.

"Just curious."

"About what?"

"What a hotshot DJ is doing in Georgia."

Beca tensed up, which did not escape the redhead's attention.

"…And what did you find?" The brunette asked carefully, studying the Bella for any signs of malice. She was relieved when she couldn't find any, but kept up her guard nonetheless.

"Not telling."

Beca raised an eyebrow in amusement. She knew that the Barden senior would have already blurted out the information out of excitement if she had found anything worth mentioning.

"I bet you didn't find anything."

"Aha! So there _is _something to find!"

The exclamation startled Beca, but she recovered quickly, turning towards the shelf and shrugging nonchalantly.

"I just needed to leave the scene for a bit."

"How come?"

The brunette sighed. She had a feeling that the questions wouldn't stop until she gave an answer that satisfied Chloe. She turned to look at Chloe again, trying to gauge the younger woman's intentions once more. When she was met with a face that seemed to reflect genuine curiosity, Beca relented.

"If I see this shit on Entertainment Weekly, I will deny everything and hunt you down, alright?"

The smaller woman shot the most intimidating glare she could muster and tried to ignore the eager smile she was immediately graced with. She didn't actually think that the paparazzi would be that interested in her life. She was still on her way up the music scene when she decided to take this _hiatus._ But her reason for leaving _did _involve someone important enough.

"There was... someone."

"Oh. Oh! Like, a _female _someone?"

The DJ shot the other girl a look, effectively silencing the redhead.

"Stop interrupting, and yes. I would've thought my sexual preferences would be glaringly obvious by now." She hadn't meant to snap, but all the thought of _sharing_ caused her a tremendous amount of unease. She closed her eyes for a quick second to rein in her nerves. "Look, whatever Cynthia Rose said - I'm _really_ not that big of a deal. I spinned at small bars throughout college, made my way up the club scene, worked on the tracks of a few artists that were friends of mine, but that was pretty much it. A little over a year ago I got roped into working on the theme song of a TV show that was supposed to become a hit among teens."

Beca shot Chloe a warning look, already anticipating her barrage of questions. True enough, the redhead was caught with her mouth poised to speak. When Chloe closed her mouth, Beca spoke up again.

"I uh, I got involved with someone from the cast. But uh, fans love it when stars are together both on- and off-screen, and hey, the leading lady can't _really_ be gay. I mean, she can have an on-screen kiss with a girl in another movie just to tease the male audience - but - anyway. Publicists got involved, and -" Beca took a deep breath from her rant, only then realizing that she had been gesturing wildly with her arms as she spoke. She dropped her arms and felt her shoulders sag down. It was the first time she'd really spoken about what happened with anyone. She'd forgotten just how _draining _it was to finally tell someone after keeping something to yourself - that not dealing with something meant having to relive it when you finally do.

"She chose the guy."

"Huh?" Beca furrowed her eyebrows, still distracted by her own thoughts. She was caught off guard by the uncharacteristically solemn expression on the usually bubbly woman's face. The traces of eagerness that were there a few minutes ago seemed to have disappeared, replaced by a look that Beca couldn't quite understand. It seemed to be a mixture of sympathy and -

_Oh. _

_Oh, geez._

Beca swallowed hard as she was reminded of the _incident-that-must-not-be-named_, or as she sometimes liked to call it, the "Beca-Mitchell-what-the-fuck-were-you-thinking-you-were-at-Barden-for-three-days-and-you-got-yourself-into-another-mess" event. She had been incredibly good at pushing it to the back of her head and pretending that it never happened. It was a handy talent that she had picked up a long time ago.

The associate professor knew that the redhead had a crush on her. She wasn't oblivious to the lingering stares that were not-so-discreetly sent her way on multiple occasions. They ranged from longing to shy - and sometimes amorous.

And Beca wasn't completely closed off to her own feelings. She'd be lying if she said she wasn't incredibly attracted to Chloe Beale. The Bella had a very likable personality and a good heart - and god was she a _good_ kisser. There were definitely a lot of things about Chloe that were irresistible and hard not to think about.

But damn it, Beca Mitchell didn't move all the way to freakin' Georgia just to get into another mess.

"Beca?"

Beca closed her eyes, pushing her thoughts aside. Now was not the time.

"Look," the DJ began, "just... I'd appreciate it if you don't tell anyone. There's enough heat on me being the youngest on the faculty, and there are enough people challenging my credibility wherever I go. I really don't need some stupid kid like Bumper -"

"He's not a kid, he's a senior," Chloe defended softly, not that she cared about the Treblemaker. But she was a senior, too, and was definitely not a kid. "You're like, two years older."

"What?" Beca rolled her eyes when she noticed the downcast expression on the redhead's face. "Oh, geez. That's not what I meant. Dude acts like a twelve-year-old, that's all."

Beca turned away, her hand beginning to fidget with the sleeve of her sweater. She swallowed hard, trying to fight the overwhelming instinct to bolt again. She knew it was a bad idea getting Chloe the job at the station. But saying no to Chloe Beale, Beca found, was harder than it looked. And the teacher in her saw it as an opportunity to encourage someone's musical aspirations. That was her reasoning anyway.

But this - this type of conversation was the kind she hated - the kind with unresolved feelings and eyes that look at you like they're expecting things you can't give. This type of situation was the kind that made her feel anxious, and triggered the fight-or-flight response that led to the lack of permanence of people and places in her life.

She felt a hand on her back and tensed up instinctively. But the redhead's presence exuded a sense of comfort, and Beca allowed herself to let out the breath she didn't realize she was holding.

"Hey." Chloe's voice was soft. Beca looked up and immediately regretted it. Their proximity - and of course, those bright, blue eyes - made her want to do stupid things, like make out with a hot stranger in a shower stall after singing a bomb ass duet with them. But the concern in those eyes made her want to do other stupid things, like lash out to make it go away.

"I'm sorry," Beca murmured. Before Chloe could respond, she turned around and ran.


	5. Chapter 5

**You're Gonna Miss Me When I'm Gone**

Disclaimer: The characters in this story do not belong to me. They belong to Kay Cannon and the producers of Pitch Perfect.

A/N: I have a few endings in mind, but I'd love to hear what you think should happen!

Special thanks to Mia, my beta for this chapter!

Please leave a review! I'd love to know how I can improve as a writer. Thank you! (:

* * *

The sound of heavy footfalls echoed in the long, empty hallway as she made a beeline for the door at the end. Any passerby - had there been any - would have scrambled out of the redhead's way. It was clear - _Chloe Beale was furious_.

It took a lot for Chloe to get angry.

After all, _'every minute you spend angry is sixty seconds of happiness you won't get back.'_

Or something like that.

But really, everyone had a breaking point. This was her senior year. It was supposed to be the best part of her college career. She had big plans - it was the year that she and Aubrey were finally bestowed the leadership of the Barden Bellas and their one chance to redeem themselves after a disastrous end to their junior year. This was her last year of competitive a cappella singing before she was thrust into a world of forty-hour work weeks, no summer vacation and bills and loans to pay off.

Except she had to be sidetracked. She didn't even know how it happened. Okay, Chloe wasn't exactly known for having the best attention span, but she was usually focused when it counted. But how she had gotten herself so far off course was ridiculous.

First, there was the _shower incident. _Which, truth be told, still boggled Chloe to no end. How one went from trying to recruit someone, to singing with them _naked, _to feeling them up against the probably-not-very-hygienic shower wall, was a mystery. Because really, if she had just been sexually frustrated, there were other simpler - _saner_ - ways to deal with it.

Then, she had to let her infatuation get out of hand. Was it the novelty of fooling around with a woman? Or fooling around with someone she wasn't supposed to? Chloe loved a bit of spontaneity every now and then to add a little spice in her life, but really, she was old enough to _not _go after things - or people - that were off limits simply _because_ she liked the chase. No, if anything, the unattainability of her silly _crush _was what bugged her rather than spurring her on. She had enough on her hands with an almost completely new set of Bellas to train all year long.

Chloe had really thought that approaching the associate professor for help would was a good idea - even if spending more time together made it harder to squash her feelings. When you get to repeatedly witness your crush's quirks and learn random tidbits (and maybe a couple of important facts) about them, there was a chance that you could like them even more - even when it meant you also experienced their flaws. It made them human, made them someone you could see yourself standing next to, simply because it took away the pedestal underneath them.

Like how Beca tries really hard to reach the top shelf without the stool, and the way she looks absolutely proud of herself when she succeeds. And how she subconsciously plays with one of her cartilage piercings when she's deep in thought. Or bites her bottom lip in anticipation waiting for a new mix to finish playing for the first time, as if she could actually see the reactions of listeners tuning in and was nervous about them. The way she talked about an exceptional progress made by a student. The time she hinted at growing up in a single parent household and only seeing her father for the first time in years when they became _colleagues_. And reluctantly revealed why she was at Barden.

But it didn't matter. Because Beca made it very clear that anything that was between them was forgotten, and that no amount of time spent together was going to change anything. And that was fine to Chloe - _for the most part_. She understood spur of the moment _mistakes_. There were much more important matters at hand - like the ICCA.

Yet Chloe didn't feel like she had learned anything - let alone felt inspired - from any of their shared time, making her feel like she could've spent her work hours doing vocal practices or perfecting their choreography. But the redhead thought that, if nothing else, she would have at least gotten a friendship out of it - the brunette, after all, seemed to be warming up to her. At least that was what she thought when Beca had playfully rolled her eyes, but pocketed the ticket for the ICCA state finals.

_She didn't even show up._

Sure, it was before she had gone and revealed that she had been attempting some online stalking - er, _research_ - and the awkwardness that ensued from the conversation after. But she really thought... she didn't even know what she thought anymore. It was all wrong anyway.

All Chloe knew was that the only thing she got out of spending time with Beca Mitchell was a _bigger _crush, an angry best friend, and a loss at the state finals.

Yup.

They lost.

And after the blowout that happened afterwards, none of the Bellas were speaking with each other. Well, mostly Aubrey, Chloe and Cynthia Rose, with the rest stuck in the middle.

_And where was the DJ all this time? _The redhead clutched the newspaper in her hand more tightly, feeling a fresh wave of anger rise within her.

Chloe gritted her teeth as she finally reached the door. She blinked away the sting of tears, channeling all her anger as she shoved the door open.

"BECA MITCHELL!"

* * *

_Three Days Ago_

"Well, well, Beca Mitchell. Where've you been hiding all this time?"

Beca, who had been focused on grading a huge stack of papers - _she really shouldn't have put them off for so long_ - looked up, startled by the interruption. Her face broke out into a smile as a familiar friendly face and its signature raspy voice greeted her, and she stood up to let herself be hugged.

"_So_ - hey." She closed her eyes as the familiar perfume reached her nose, breathing in the smell she knew all too well. Her arms moved to return the hug, albeit awkwardly - _she really wasn't much of a hugger._

It always amazed Beca how fast word traveled amongst a circle of friends. She had booked a last minute flight to LA when she had received a text from Donald, a good friend she hadn't heard from in a while. The rapper had been planning a birthday bash at the club he owned for one of their mutual friends, and thought it would be awesome if Beca could spin for the event. It would be a reunion of sorts, he had reasoned with the brunette. While he knew exactly how to guilt her into agreeing, the DJ didn't need much persuasion. She _had _missed LA. And she _did _feel guilty for not keeping in touch with anyone since she left. And with things at Barden getting a bit too much - the stress of administering and grading midterms, creating mixes for the station on weekdays and the club on weekends, dodging her father's attempt at a reconciliation (not to mention the confusion that is Chloe), she saw it as the perfect way to distance herself and clear her head for a bit.

The DJ lived in her head a bit too much sometimes. At best, it allowed her to visualize the her most creative arrangements. At worst, it allowed her to create worst case scenarios in her head, building situations up to be bigger than they really were to the point where it crippled her ability to deal with them like any mature person should.

(Un)fortunately, Beca knew that brief visit would not escape the knowledge of her close friends. And anyone who knew her would know her habit of frequenting places where she found comfort. Thus being found at her favorite cafe, semi-nursing a hangover after the birthday event, trying to get some last minute work done.

The DJ had found the other brunette's company surprisingly comforting. Then again, they had been good friends before things got complicated. The distance helped them get over whatever it was between them, gave them a chance to process things on their own. Or at least, Beca hoped so. The actress was always a far more forgiving person than she was.

She was relieved to find out that she was right. By the time the two sat down, the actress began raving about something ridiculous that she had heard at a fundraiser she had recently attended, effectively breaking the ice. The two chatted freely, catching up on what they had been up to since their last conversation. Two hours later, the conversation eventually wound up around the reason for Beca's clearly impromptu visit. The actress chuckled at the DJ's lame attempt at dodging the question.

"You and I both know that even Donald isn't enough to convince you to get your tiny ass here. Beca Mitchell doesn't return to places willingly, unless she's also _leaving_ places. Oh, don't look at me like that, you know it's true. So come on, spill - and don't give me that 'I don't like talking about myself' nonsense - who is she? She better not be hotter than me."

Beca rolled her eyes, cursing under her breath.

"My life does not revolve around women, thank you very much. I just needed to get away for a bit. I might've signed up for more than I can handle - but hey, there's not much you can do in a small college town."

"What, Beca Mitchell having trouble making friends?"

"Like I said, it's a college town. Everyone's either too old... or too young."

"Oh, please, you're twenty-four. College kids are like, what, eighteen, nineteen at least? I'm sure there are grad students _your _age. Come on, not everyone can be brilliant like the great Beca Mitchell."

Beca rolled her eyes again, but didn't respond. The actress narrowed her eyes at the DJ.

"...Unless you're dating someone who _is _too young. OH MY GOD, REBECA DAISY MITCHELL, YOU DIDN'T!"

Beca's eyes widened, and she looked around wildly before glaring at the other brunette.

"Will you _lower down_ your voice! We're at a public place! And don't use my middle name! Damn it, I never should've told you my middle name." She brought her palm to her forehead in embarrassment. The other woman only grinned.

"Ha, as if you could've helped it. A little booze in ya and you're practically spilling your life story. _Anyway,_ don't dodge the question."

"I'm not dating anyone," Beca gritted out, still glaring.

"Hm, bedding?"

"Wha - _No_! Things are just... complicated."

It was the actress's turn to roll her eyes.

"When is it ever simple when it comes to you? So, tell me about her? She look anything like me? You _do _kind of have a type."

"Shut up." The DJ was beginning to regret being glad that they were past any awkwardness. The other woman was getting too much joy out of this.

"Okay, okay, please, just tell me? And please tell me she's old enough to buy alcohol - or cigarettes, at least."

"_Fine. _And yes. For both your dumbass questions." Beca huffed. "But I wasn't lying when I said that I needed to get away because of _everything_ that was happening. But yeah, we work together at the radio station. She's a student - not my student, though. So I'm not really breaking any rules, but it'll look bad. Especially when half the folks already look at me like I'm too young to work with them and the other half think I'm too young to learn from. There's enough heat with everyone thinking that Daddy dearest got me this job, which isn't completely false, but hey, I worked my ass off and I'm awesome." Beca scowled at the amused look. "Fine, yeah, get to the point. Okay, she's cute. I like her. Or, I guess I could see myself like her. Like, _really_ like her. But I have priorities. Like music. And my three jobs. I have enough on my plate without freakin' a cappella dramas. Please, I have an awesomer taste in music. I thought I was at a university, not in high school. I mean - "

"A cappella, huh? Wow, being surrounded by educated folks have really turned you into a giant nerd." The actress could barely contain her glee. "Oh, this is_ too _good."

"Shut. Up."

"Alright, alright. Joking aside, I don't see what the big deal is. You're not going to stay there forever. You belong in LA - everyone knows that. You're not going to be a teacher forever, and she's not going to be a student forever. The school year's almost over. If she's worth it, you'll figure something out. If she's not, then there was nothing to worry about in the first place. Things are never as bad as they seem, Beca." The actress reached forward, placing her hand on top of the DJ's. "Hey. Stop overthinking. It's like a curse with that smart brain of yours. Just because feelings are involved doesn't mean that something has to happen. And if it does and things don't work out, so what? You're young, shit happens. You're allowed to change your mind. Sure, people may get hurt, but at least you're being honest. Go with your gut. Or your heart, if you wanna be cheesy like that."

Beca looked up, meeting her eyes. She opened her mouth, then paused, wondering if she should voice out her question.

"If I had stayed, would you - "

"I would've stuck it out. And the paparazzi would've eventually found more interesting people to stalk after a few weeks. Who knows if we would've lasted? No one does. But hey, I made my choice, and you chose different. And yeah, it hurt, but I understand your reasons for leaving. I never thanked you for letting my publicist think that it was the other way around - it got me into a _lot _less trouble." The taller woman gave her a reassuring smile before turning serious again. "I just... I really missed my best friend, you know? I swear, if you let me wait another year to hear from you again, I will fly to you and kick your ass."

Beca looked down guilty. It was then that she had a good look at the hand on top of hers. Or what the hand was wearing, to be exact. Her eyes flew back up, a smile forming on her face as the gears began shifting in her head.

"What, you didn't think I was going to be pining over you, did you? Turns out my publicist wasn't completely wrong. On-screen romance sometimes _does _transfer off the screen. It'll be a while, but I swear if you miss the wedding - "

"I'll be there," Beca cut in, rolling her eyes but not retracting her smile. "Congratulations." She felt as if a weight was lifted off her shoulders knowing that her friend was not only doing okay, but _happy_.

"Thank you. Anyway, I should go. I've been tempting fate by staying for so long, and I know you don't want your ugly mug on Us Weekly -"

"_Oh my god, it's Sophia_!"

"Shit!"

Beca smirked at her friend's antics, watching the actress grab her purse and leave with a clearly practiced speed. She heard the slam of the cafe door, followed by hurried footsteps.

The DJ sat where she was, her mind still absorbing the conversation. Of all the different scenarios she had thought up about their eventual meet up, this was a whole lot better than she expected. It left her with a feeling of contentment.

A few minutes later, she went back to grading, feeling a lot less stressed than she was earlier in the day. As she picked up the next paper, something fell out, catching her eye. She looked down at the rectangular paper, furrowing her eyebrows as her eyes were drawn to the bold typeface in the middle.

ICCA State Finals

8:00PM Saturday, March 3, 2012

Admit One

Her eyes widened as she quickly reached for her phone, unlocking it to look check for the date.

_Sun Mar 4_

_Oh shit._


	6. Chapter 6

**You're Gonna Miss Me When I'm Gone**

Disclaimer: The characters in this story do not belong to me. They belong to Kay Cannon and the producers of Pitch Perfect.

A/N: Sorry for the long wait! Special thanks to Mia & Corbin, my betas for this chapter!

As usual, let me know what you think!

* * *

Having already queued a list of mixes to be played over the radio for the next twenty minutes, Beca was outside the booth, carrying a huge stack of records that needed to be sorted when the redhead got in for her shift. With her being away, Luke had left the place in somewhat of a mess, and after having to deal with a flight delay and a snoring seatmate the night before, the DJ was ready to head home and knock out.

When the door suddenly slammed open, she jumped in surprise, almost dropping the stack.

"BECA MITCHELL!"

The brunette flinched as the loud voice successfully shocked some of the fatigue out of her system. She turned towards the Bella, furrowing her eyebrows at the amount of anger that was directed at her.

"What the – "

"I've had it with you, Beca Mitchell! You and this stupid radio station! I've been doing nothing but stacking records for months and getting nothing in return!"

The DJ had figured that the senior would be unhappy about her absence at the competition, but she was not expecting to be verbally attacked at work (and for another reason, it seemed?).

_What the hell? _

Beca felt her defenses kick in full force. Whatever Chloe's deal was, she was in no mood for it. She dropped the records on the table and turned around, crossing her arms.

"You get paid eight dollars an hour for your work. I wouldn't say that's nothing."

"I don't care about the money! I agreed to work here because I thought _you _would help me! But you haven't! At all!"

"What the hell are you talking –"

"I'm talking about the fact that me working here was all a game to you! Did you have fun wasting my time? Did you call your little girlfriend in Hollywood at night and make fun of the redhead that kept sticking around, thinking that you were on her side?"

_Girlfriend?_

"What the fu –"

The redhead cut her off, slamming the tabloid on the desk. Beca's eyes trailed down, squinting in confusion for a second, then widening a little as she saw a picture of her at the café with Sophia, with the woman's hand on top of hers. She immediately reached for it, tugging it closer to read the short paragraph underneath:

Reunion Between Old Friends? Or Past Lovers?

Sophia Davis was seen a few days ago with Beca Mitchell in what seemed to be a more-than-friendly lunch date. The _Ravens_ star, 27, was romantically linked to the DJ, 24, in the past, though the former's rep has maintained that the two are just friends. Mitchell, widely known in the club scene by her stage name Bec AM, has taken an indefinite hiatus in her public career, but reportedly returned to perform at a party for a fellow DJ. Many have speculated on Davis's sexuality, though the actress is currently dating her co-star, Julian Nicholson, 30.

Beca's thoughts raced to Sophia, wondering if she should check to make sure that the actress's publicist and the show's executives weren't giving her a hard time. But as she looked up and saw the redhead blinking back tears, she realized that she had her own bomb to diffuse.

"What is this really about, Chloe?" She finally asked, sighing. "What are you doing reading this garbage?"

"You were supposed to be at the competition."

Beca gritted her teeth at the woman's stubbornness and inability to get straight to the point, struggling to see the connection between (or keep up with) the senior's topic jumps. She_ really _needed to get some sleep.

"I never said I'd go, Chloe – but I wanted to. Things just kept coming up and I lost track of time. I'm sorry, okay? I'll try to go to the next one."

"We lost."

"Oh." The brunette felt a pang of regret at the news, knowing how much the competition meant to the Bella. She ran her fingers through her hair, tugging slightly in aggravation as she tried to figure out what to say. She could feel the taller woman's eyes staring at her expectantly. "I… geez, I'm sorry to hear that."

"Is that all you have to say?"

"Huh?"

"You were supposed to be there, Beca! I really needed your support!"

"Geez, I said I was sorry!" The brunette snapped, unwilling to let herself continue to be yelled at. "What else do you want from me? First you ask for my help, then you ask me to go to your competition, and now you're demanding explanations from me? I told you teachers weren't allowed to interfere and that a cappella wasn't my thing –"

"So what, you just lead me on?"

"Lead you on? I don't owe you anything, Chloe! We're not dat–"

"It's not even about _that_. I'm talking about you wasting my time here! If you weren't allowed to interfere, why did you have me work here? What the hell have I been doing here all this time? You didn't teach me anything!"

"Maybe you just haven't been asking the right questions!"

"I don't have time for this bullshit, Beca!"

"A cappella season is over for you. Sounds like you have all the time in the world."

"You're a bitch, Beca Mitchell."

"ENOUGH." Beca slammed her hand down, effectively shutting up the redhead. Her fingers curled into fists that pushed hard against the wooden desk, attempting to channel her anger into it. She was grateful that the other woman stayed silent (though it was probably from shock) while she somewhat managed to rein in her temper.

When the DJ spoke up again, her voice was noticeably softer.

"Why the hell do you think I've been coming out here? Stacking records for kicks? I'm the DJ, Chloe. I'm not even really supposed to leave the booth."

"What are you – "

"No," the brunette cut her off. "You had your turn to talk. You want to learn so bad? Tell me – why do _you_ make music? Money? Fame? Just for kicks?"

"I…What?"

"Look, you see the millions who try to make it big on those singing competitions every year? Many of them actually have pretty decent voices. There is a shit load of talent out there, and YouTube and Google make it possible to learn the rest – the instruments, the equipment, whatever. Any aspiring DJ can put together tracks with the same chord progressions. Most people can play at least one instrument now. But if you don't connect with your audience, you can't be anything more than _decent_."

Beca took a deep breath, her cheeks slightly flushed from her mini rant. She stuffed her hands into her jean pockets, all of a sudden feeling extremely self-conscious. Her eyes remained trained to the ground, avoiding the wide eyes that were glued to her.

"Look," the brunette broke the brief silence in a much softer voice, "Music isn't just about what you hear. It's about how it makes you feel. _You _know that, otherwise you wouldn't be singing even if it hurts like hell."

_Oh. _Beca knew about her nodes.

Blue eyes flew up to meet the other pair, but Beca seemed to be far from done. Chloe kept silent, knowing from the softer tone that any interruption might have the professor running for the hills again, but her mind filled with even more questions. This was the most the redhead had ever heard her speak, lectures aside. But silence wasn't an issue – every word being thrown at her was adding to a melting pot of emotions. _Confusion. Anger. Guilt. Awe._

"Your teammates aren't feeling it," the brunette finally continued after collecting her thoughts, "because the set list was created for a different group of Bellas. It doesn't have their input or showcase their strengths. There isn't any part of _them_ in it, just the mold that they're expected to fit. And if they can't connect with it, the audience sure as hell won't."

Beca shrugged, resorting back to feigning indifference to mask her obvious discomfort. When she looked up, she noticed that the redhead's eyes were looking anywhere but at her.

"I'm sorry," Chloe whispered finally. "I just… why am I here, then?"

"You don't need to be," the brunette said, repeating her casual shrug. She didn't elaborate on whether it was a response to the Bella's apology or question. "Look, you have a lot of talent among the ten of you to put together a great set that fits your voices. You're weren't here to learn how to do that. You keep asking _how _you can win and _how _you can get better, but you have all the hows, Chloe."

Beca turned to grab her stuff, but the senior reached out to stop her.

"Wait."

"_Why_… do you make music?"

Beca finally let out a hint of a smile.

_There it is._

The DJ leaned back against the desk, finally comfortable with the turn in conversation. She took a few seconds to think of how she could articulate her response.

"I've never been good with words – or at least, using them to convey what I'm feeling," she began. "But music always came easy for me. In high school I would make mix CDs for the girls I liked because I didn't know how to tell them how I felt. While some girls kept diaries or blogs, I had shelves of CDs and flash drives. When it became my profession, it became more than that.

"After years of practice, I can put stuff together with my eyes closed, but a few tracks still require all-nighters and three cans of Red Bull. The _great _stuff brings out more than just a bit of bump 'n grind on the dance floor… and _nothing_ beats that - when you can see the crowd feel _your_ music.

"When a couple shares a moment, or hell, two friends who realize that they're maybe not _just_ friends, and on the dance floor, with the right amount of liquid courage, and maybe just the _right song_, one of them gets the balls to make a move.

"That's why."

And before Chloe could respond, Beca reached for the strap of her messenger bag, lifting it over her head. With one last look at the redhead, Beca headed out the door, leaving her to her thoughts.


End file.
